Gamecube to go

[Hailrazer] built a handheld GameCube so he could take his gaming with him. The final product is quite nice, providing a large display and about 3 hours of play time on the lithium polymer batteries.

Starting with the case from a Kidz Delight Datamax game, he used Bondo ABS cement and plastic bumper filler to alter the case but still provide a professional look. The display is a five-inch PlayStation One LCD Screen from which he also incorporated the speakers. At least four controllers were cannibalized for use as the buttons, sticks, triggers, and directional pad. Our favorite feature is the totally exposed optical head mounted on the back.

ya you shouldnt cover the disc drive so no one will get hurt, you should cover it so you dont damage the drive itself, anything can get in that thing. also you should make a headphone jack cuz usually people don’t like to hear the game your playing

The exposed optical drive reminds me of an old psone portable(perhaps an early Ben H. mod). Neat idea of using a donor case rather than starting from scratch. Couldn’t tell if it had this already but controller port(s) + composite video could come in handy!

I’m surprised nobody has pointed out the real error here.
With a 3 hour battery life he’s going to play for those 3 hours resulting in potential damage to his thumbs.
Won’t somebody think of the thumbs???

“Despite the fact that Bondo is far safer to work with than its lead-based counterparts, it still poses significant health risks. The fumes are quite toxic, and the hardeners can create burns in cases of prolonged skin contact. The use of gloves, a mask, and proper ventilation are all recommended when mixing and applying the filler.”

Hmm well chuck instead of bashing you I will say that you are right. But people who can’t exercise common sense don’t belong in the gene pool anyway. Smart people don’t inhale poison when avoidable. Happy trails.

Problems: Speakers are mostly covered by your hands, Z switches are too small and awkward to press, C-stick should be switched with the button pad – most gamecube games I played don’t use it that much, and it’s in the way of the buttons.

The exposed disc problem isn’t about danger, it’s about function. The laser lens will get extremely dirty, extremely fast. The rotating disc will rapidly build up static and *attract* dirt and stuff. Setting it down puts undue stress on the disc and motor assembly.

Your hand will block the power cord port if you’re holding it like he was, and the plug for the power cord was *not* the original gamecube plug.

Finally, the thing looks *heavy*. I wouldn’t hold that for an hour, let alone 3.

Boy you guys are pretty tough critics for people that have never built a portable and probably never could.

Now to address your issues.

1.In playing for over 20 hours I have never hit the c button accidentally.
2.Speakers are so loud they will blast you out of the room even with them fully covered which they never are.
3. I didn’t use bondo, I used Abs cement and professional plastic bumper filler.
4. The disc drive will be covered eventually. I have not found anything that works great right now, so it is functioning as-is for now.
5. The disc CAN’T hurt you. It spins slowly.
6. It is light enough to hold for 3 hours. But real nice to know that you guys can tell how heavy it “looks” LOL
7. The power adapter is the original Gamecube power adapter with a new plug soldered on the end. And my hand doesn’t block it while in use.